Our Surgeons

James Balserak, M.D., F.A.C.S.

Specialty Area:
Surgical Endocrinology

CURRICULUM VITAE | MEET DR. BALSERAK

Special Interests

Special Interests:
Advanced Laparoscopic Surgery - including hernia & adrenalectomy, Endocrine-Adrenal, Thyroid/Parathyroid Surgery, Aerospace Medicine

Recommended Reading:
» Personal Statement
» Parathyroid
» Thyroid
» Adrenal Gland

Curriculum Vitae

Education

Medical College of Virginia
Virginia Commonwealth University
Phi Kappa Phi
Doctor of Medicine (1986-1990)

U.S. Air Force School of Aerospace Medicine
Brooks Air Force Base, Texas
Graduated with Honor
Colonel
Arizona Air National Guard
Aerospace Medicine (1989)

University of Virginia
Charlottesville, Virginia
Bachelor of Arts: Chemistry (1982-1986)
Summa Cum Laude; Phi Beta Kappa
Graduated with Highest Distinction
Academic Atlantic Coast Conference Honor Roll (1985)
Intermediate Honors (1984)
Echols Scholar
Varsity Track and Field (Long Jump)

Benedictine University
Master of Public Health
(active study - completion of Masters in Public Health December 2009)

Internship & Residency

General Surgery
University of Arizona Health Science Center
Tucson, Arizona (1990-1995)

Board Certification

American Board of Surgery (1996, 2006)

Professional Experience

Southwestern Surgery Associates (1996-present)

Academic Appointment

Assistant Clinical Professor of Surgery, College of Medicine

University of Arizona

Tucson, Arizona (1995-present)

Committees and Elected Positions

Tucson Medical Center:
Department Chairman of Surgery, Dept of General Surgery (2005-2007)
Section Chief, Dept of General Surgery (2002-2004)
Arizona Diamondbacks Team Doctor (2005-2006)
Tucson Surgical Society, Associate (1996-present)
Southwestern Surgical Congress, Fellow (1996-present)
American College of Surgeons, Fellow (1995-present)
Who's Who Among Rising Young Americans (1990)
Phi Kappa Phi (1989-present)
Alpha Epsilon Delta, Cabinet Member (1985-1986)
Phi Beta Kappa (1985-present)

Hospital Affiliations

Tucson Surgical Center
St. Joseph's Hospital - consultation staff only
Tucson Medical Center

Professional Affiliations

Medical:
American College of Surgeons (F.A.C.S.)
American Association of Endocrinologists
Associate Fellow, American College of Endocrinology
Southwestern Surgical Congress
Society of Laparoscopic Surgeons
Tucson Surgical Society
Arizona Medial Association
Pima County Medical Society

Non-Medical:
Team Physician - Arizona Diamondback
First Base Coach / Team Physican - Tucson Toros
Partner, Velocity Micro

Special Achievements

Recipient - 2000 Arizona Medical Association - Distiguished Military Service Award
Selected by peers - "Best Doctors of America" 2009-2010

Selected Publications

"Endoscopic-Assisted Ligation of Arteriovenous Malformations in the Gastrointestinal Tract," Society of American Gastroendoscopic Surgeons (September 1993)

"Laparoscopic Staging of Hodgkin's Lymphoma," Journal of Laparoscopic and Endoscopic Surgery (September 1993)

Oddie,K.M., J.S. Litz, J.C. Balserak, D.M. Payne, C.E. Creutz, and S.J. Parsons, "Modulation of pp60-src specific tyrosine kinase activity during secretion in stimulated bovine adrenal chromaffin cells," Journal of Neuroscience Research 24:38-48 (1989)